How To Find An Online Addiction Recovery Support Group

Most people probably imagine recovery support groups as people sitting in a circle of chairs in a church or another community space. Maybe they are drinking coffee and eating doughnuts as one person talks about the nature of their drinking or drug use. While in-person support groups are still popular, online groups are also gaining attendees. Virtual options may appeal to people who find in-person meetings to be intimidating, uncomfortable, or inaccessible.

In today’s technology-driven world, you can benefit from peer support in the comfort of your own home, or wherever you get an internet connection. The presence of online support groups has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to provide safe, easily accessible, and diverse options for anyone in recovery from substance abuse, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), SMART Recovery, and many more.

Where Can I Find Online Support Groups?

You can find online peer support groups through these groups themselves, but many people are unfamiliar with the options available. People who receive treatment for addiction are often introduced to a variety of peer support options. However, several government agencies and nonprofit or private organizations can also help people find online recovery groups. These services are offered for free, confidentially, and can be accessed anytime, anywhere, by anyone seeking substance use disorder (SUD) recovery support.

Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is one of the most well-known public health agencies in the country. Tasked with improving mental health and SUD treatment services and outcomes in the U.S., SAMHSA provides several services for Americans, including offering grants, publications, training, and treatment location services. People searching for in-person or online recovery groups can visit SAMHSA’s “Find Support” page to search through different support groups. The agency also offers helplines and other services for substance abuse, suicide, sexual assault, and LGBTQ+ needs.

USA.gov

USA.gov was created to make government services easier to find and access for Americans. This website helps people locate and understand government benefits, programs, and other useful information. This includes disability services, disaster relief, and substance abuse treatment. Its “Find help for substance abuse” page includes hotlines, counseling and other treatment options, and peer support meetings, with six different recovery groups offering online meetings. The page is regularly updated.

National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is a government program specifically designed to address alcohol-related issues. NIAAA offers many services for people seeking recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD), or any drinking issue. Visiting the site can inform you of the dangers of heavy or binge drinking, new research about alcohol’s effects, and recovery help for problem drinking. The website also helps people find in-person and online mutual support groups, providing descriptions of each group.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a law enforcement agency that aims to stop drug trafficking in the United States and around the world. However, the DEA also works to spread the message of addiction prevention, overdose prevention, and addiction recovery by offering comprehensive recovery resources for people in active addiction or wishing to continue their recovery journey through online or other support.

What Are Some Online Recovery Groups?

In your search for an online recovery group, you will notice that there are several options to consider. Below we’ll explore some of the groups you may have found. Remember that you can always try more than one group until one resonates with you. This can be easier to do in an online setting.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is perhaps the most well-known recovery support group in the nation. Established in 1939, its aim is to help anyone with a drinking problem. AA does not ask for any dues or fees, and you don’t necessarily have to identify as an “alcoholic,” or a person with alcohol addiction, to attend meetings. Members share their past and present substance abuse and recovery experiences in meetings and take a spiritual journey through the 12 steps with a sponsor. The program asks members to rely on a higher power of their understanding and be of service to others as a way to overcome their drinking or substance abuse issues. Today, online meetings are hosted all over the world.

Narcotics Anonymous

An offshoot of AA, Narcotics Anonymous (NA) aims to help people with drug-related issues, such as methamphetamine, heroin, or prescription drug abuse. The program follows the same 12-step model as AA, asking members to find and rely on a higher power of their own understanding, but its text and meetings welcome people experiencing issues with all substances, not just alcohol. NA meetings can be found online through the group’s website.

Al-Anon

Al-Anon is another 12-step program based on AA and featuring the same spiritual and service-focused tenets. However, instead of helping the person with a substance abuse problem, Al-Anon helps partners, family members, and other loved ones affected. Meetings help members to let go of the burden of their loved one’s addiction by setting boundaries, learning self-care, and finding commitments in the program.

SMART Recovery

In recent years, non-12-step addiction recovery groups have gained popularity, offering alternatives for people who may find traditional 12-step programs challenging due to the spiritual focus or time commitments. One notable non-12-step option is Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART) Recovery, which emphasizes evidence-based strategies for managing substance abuse. Members don’t rely on a higher power or many hours of service to overcome substance abuse; rather, they engage in group and individual sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and focus on living a balanced life. As of 2018, SMART Recovery International reported that 3,000 groups were active across 23 countries, reflecting its growing global reach. Some of these meetings are online.

The National Alliance On Mental Illness

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is one of the largest mental health organizations dedicated to helping Americans with mental illness, including substance use disorders (SUDs). NAMI is an alliance of more than 600 local affiliates working in communities to raise awareness and provide support and education. Many of these affiliates offer an array of free services, such as hosting free support groups.

LifeRing

Another secular peer support network is LifeRing. This organization is rooted in practical ways to help people abstain from drugs or alcohol, believing that people possess the power to overcome their addiction. The LifeRing program recognizes a “sober self” and an “addict self” within each participant. By attending online or in-person meetings, members use their own sober self to connect to the sober self of other members, sharing advice, understanding, and encouragement.

Secular Organizations For Sobriety

Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS), or Save Our Selves, is another non-religious alternative for people seeking to stop using substances. This non-profit network of autonomous, non-professional local groups is dedicated to helping people achieve a drug-free life, providing a free-flowing approach to recovery. People don’t have to find a higher power but can choose to include religion or a god in their recovery if they wish. Members are credited with their own sobriety.

Women For Sobriety

Women for Sobriety is a self-help program designed by and for women, focusing on emotional and spiritual growth. Regional and online meetings are offered. Members engage in supportive, empowering, secular, and life-affirming meetings that address the unique needs of women in recovery. There are also online group chats and discussion forums where women can talk about their recovery together.

Why Try An Online Recovery Support Group?

Whether you’re new to recovery or a long-time member of one of the support groups mentioned, you may wonder why someone would forego a face-to-face interaction in favor of an online experience. Virtual meetings provide several unique benefits for participants, while often offering the same level of support.

Accessibility

People lead busy lives and may not be able to attend in-person meetings. Time may be limited because of family, work, or school obligations. Transportation options also may be limited. For these people, an online meeting that can be entered and exited easily from their homes, workplaces, or nearly anywhere else provides an excellent solution. Other people live in rural areas where in-person meetings are sparse. Online meetings don’t require you to travel and allow you to join meetings occurring at a time that works for you.

Anonymity And Confidentiality

People in early recovery may feel intimidated by in-person meetings, or not wish to sit in a room with strangers. Some carry sexual or physical assault trauma that can be easily triggered by physical or spatial contact with others or when hearing other members’ stories. Online meetings allow you or a loved one to interact with others from the safety of your home. They also provide you the ability to mute or log off of a meeting that is triggering a trauma response or simply making you feel uncomfortable. Another benefit of an online meeting is the confidentiality. Many meetings don’t ask you to turn your camera on, provide a full name, or share if you don’t want to. You can more easily listen and observe than during an in-person meeting. This can protect you from unwanted attention from other members or being recognized by someone you know professionally or socially.

Diverse Options

People seeking support groups in the past were limited to meetings they could find in, say, a 10- to 25-mile radius of their homes. The internet has greatly expanded the possibilities, opening people to a vast network of virtual meetings across their state, across the U.S., and even across the world. Several 12-step meetings, such as AA, NA, and Al-Anon, run hybrid meetings, which are hosted in person but open to online members. Other support groups host online meetings from their homes, where members from all over the world hop online and join. People make connections with others with different backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures but all experiencing addiction and seeking recovery. Online meetings may also provide an opportunity to engage in specific types of meetings that people don’t have access to in person, such as a gender-focused group, speaker-led meeting, or text-heavy meeting.

Treatment At Bedrock Recovery Center

Bedrock offers a wide variety of peer support group options for our clients. To learn more, or to ask any other questions about our treatment options, please call us today.